REVACH L'DAF
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SUMMARY
Although the Shulchan was coated with metal, the Torah refers to it as wood. (1)
Rebbi Yochanan and Reish Lakish both say that during the time of the Beis ha'Mikdash, the Mizbe'ach atoned for a person. Nowadays, a person's own table atones for him.
There were replacements for all of the utensils in the Beis ha'Mikdash in case they became Tamei.
Rebbi Elazar says that the Mizbechos were the only utensils in the Beis ha'Mikdash that were not susceptible to Tum'ah, because they were regarded as earth. (2)
According to the first opinion, the Chachamim maintain that the Mizbechos were susceptible to Tum'ah because they were coated with metal.
According to the second opinion, the Chachamim agree with Rebbi Elazar that the Mizbechos were not susceptible to Tum'ah, but for a different reason. (3)
We derive through a Kal va'Chomer from salamanders that the fire of Gehinom has no power over Talmidei Chachamim. (4)
We derive through a Kal va'Chomer from the Mizbe'ach ha'Zahav that the fire of Gehinom has no power over the sinners of Klal Yisrael. (5)
A BIT MORE
1. Therefore, it has the status of a wooden utensil with regard to Tum'ah.
2. The Torah refers to the Mizbe'ach ha'Nechoshes as "earth," and the Torah compares the Mizbe'ach ha'Zahav to the Mizbe'ach ha'Nechoshes.
3. The Chachamim maintain that even without the verse that refers to the Mizbe'ach as "earth," the Mizbe'ach would not be susceptible to Tum'ah because it is a wooden utensil that stays in one place. Even though it is coated with metal, the metal is negated by the wood.
4. If a salamander -- which is created from fire -- protects from fire the person who smears its blood on his body, a Talmid Chacham -- who is entirely fire because of the Torah that he learns -- certainly cannot be harmed by the fire of Gehinom.
5. Since the Mizbe'ach ha'Zahav is coated with a layer of gold that is only the thickness of a golden Dinar and yet the fire of the Mizbe'ach does not burn it, certainly a sinner of Klal Yisrael who is full of Mitzvos like a pomegranate will not be harmed by the fire of Gehinom.
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BRIEF INSIGHT
The Gemara says that the fire of Gehinom has no power over Talmidei Chachamim. The Maharsha asks that the Gemara earlier said that smoke rose from the grave of Acher even though he was a great Talmid Chacham. The Maharsha answers that Acher was an exception, since he deliberately rebelled against Hashem. The Ben Yehoyada answers that there are different categories of punishment in Gehinom. One category is punishment by fire, another category is punishment by smoke, and another category is punishment by snow and hail. Acher was not punished with fire, but only with smoke.
QUICK HALACHAH
All of the utensils in the Beis ha'Mikdash require immersion and He'erev Shemesh, with the exception of the Mizbe'ach ha'Zahav and the Mizbe'ach ha'Nechoshes, because their metal coatings are negated (by the wood). (Rambam, Hilchos Metam'ei Mishkav u'Moshav 11:11)
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Index to Revach for Maseches Chagigah
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